Michael Finewax

The Week Ahead

Bobrovsky out of this World!

The Flyers only play twice this week for the second week in a row. Keep Jakub Voracek in your lineup as he is one of, if not the hottest, players in the NHL with 13 goals and 31 points in 28 games thus far. Claude Giroux is also worth keeping in your lineup. Sean Couturier now understands what the sophomore jinx is all about. He has not scored in 20 games and hasn't picked up a point in his last 10, going minus-seven in the 10 game stretch. He has only two goals and seven points in 28 games this season but look for him to bounce back in 2013-14. The Flyers recalled Michael Leighton from the minors and sent Brian Boucher down to the AHL at the same time.

PHOENIX

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Los Angeles, vs. Vancouver

Notes

The Coyotes play three games in four nights this week and are off on the weekend. Look for Jason LaBarbera to get one start with Mike Smith getting two this week. The Coyotes play the Kings in back-to-back games in Los Angeles so there could be fisticuffs. If so, expect to see Kyle Chipchura involved and spending more than two minutes in the sin bin. Shane Doan leads the Coyotes in goals with nine. Radim Vrbata has missed the last 12 games with a broken foot but has started practicing and hopefully he is close to returning. Oliver Ekman-Larsson should receive some Norris Trophy consideration and at the tender age of 21, he is negotiating a long-term deal with the Coyotes. He is one of the top defensemen in the NHL and Sweden will have a tremendous defense for the next 10 years in Olympic play with both Ekman-Larsson and Erik Karlsson manning the back end.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

vs. Washington, @ New York Islanders, @ Philadelphia

Notes

The Penguins are rested Friday when they play the Islanders who take on Montreal Thursday. Kris Letang has to be at the top of the Norris Trophy talk as the NHL passes the halfway point of the regular season as he has three goals and 27 points with a plus-12 rating. He has yet to score on the power play but has six assists. The great Sidney Crosby is the runaway leader for the Hart as he has 12 goals and 35 assists to go with a plus-20 rating, and is first in the NHL in assists and points while second in plus/minus. Evgeni Malkin is out with an upper body injury and Dustin Jeffrey is getting some second line playing time with James Neal and Beau Bennett.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary

Notes

The Blues are in Western Canada for all three games this week. They are rested Tuesday when they face the Canucks who are home to the Wild Monday. The Blues will be the tired team in Calgary Sunday after traveling from Edmonton the previous night. Alexander Steen missed eight games with an upper body injury and returned with a vengeance as he had a goal and two assists Thursday. After scoring 15 goals and 15 assists in a full season last year, Chris Stewart has come back as well with 13 goals and 13 assists in 27 games. David Backes has only three goals this season but 16 assists. Jake Allen has won four in a row and is now 7-1.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Anaheim, @ Edmonton, @ Minnesota

Notes

The Sharks play all three on the road this week. It looks like Brent Burns likes playing forward. The blueliner had played in only six games before this past week because of a leg injury and was forced to play up front. He has responded with two goals and three points in two games and is worth picking up in all pools since he will have defense eligibility. Ryane Clowe is goalless this season in 24 games but has nine assists including three in his last four games. Patrick Marleau scored the 400th goal of his NHL career this past week.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @ Toronto, @ Ottawa, @ Winnipeg

Notes

Tampa Bay will be tired on Sunday when they travel to Winnipeg after playing in Ottawa Saturday. Vincent Lecavalier has been placed the injured reserve with a lower body injury. He took a puck off his foot on Feb. 2 and suffered another injury Tuesday. The Lightning recalled Tyler Johnson to replace him. Steve Stamkos is the first player to 20 goals this season. The Lightning had high hopes when they acquired Anders Lindback in the off-season but he has been less than stellar this season with a 9-7-1 record to go with a .902 save percentage and a 2.93 GAA. Brian Lee may be the worst fantasy player in hockey with no points and a minus-13 rating. Martin St. Louis has 13 of his 36 points this season on the power play.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. Tampa Bay, @ Buffalo, vs. Boston

Notes

The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights so expect to see Ben Scrivens play once in net for James Reimer. They will tired on Thursday when in Buffalo after being home Wednesday to Tampa Bay. Joffrey Lupul is ready to return to action after playing only three games before fracturing his forearm. Nazem Kadri is pointless in his last three games while Nikolai Kulemin has only one assist in his last eight games. Mike Kostka was a healthy scratch Thursday for the first time this season as John-Michael Liles drew back in the lineup for his puck-handling skills for the first time in 13 games. Phil Kessel has five goals and 10 points in his last six games.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, @ Los Angeles, @ Colorado

Notes

The Canucks play five times this week so you have to expect both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider will each play at least twice with the fifth game up for grabs. The Canucks will be tired Tuesday when they host St. Louis after hosting the Wild on Monday. With Vancouver playing five times this week, stock up on your Canucks in pools with weekly transactions. Kevin Bieksa returned to the Vancouver lineup on Thursday after missing seven of the previous eight games with a groin injury. Andrew Ebbett was recalled to replace Jordan Schroeder who was sent to the minors and Ebbett excelled in his second game with a goal and three points.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Pittsburgh, @ Winnipeg, @ Winnipeg, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Capitals play three games in four nights this week so expect to see Michal Neuvirth play once in place of Braden Holtby. They take on the Jets in Winnipeg twice this week so look for Matt Henricks and the recently acquired Aaron Volpatti to spend some time in the sin bin. Alex Ovechkin has five goals and 12 points in his last 10 games and had a goal and an assist Thursday after going three games without a point. Brooks Laich started skating again on Tuesday after not being able to since Feb. 16. He has not played in the NHL since May 16, 2012 as he suffered a groin injury playing in Europe during the lockout.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Boston, vs. Washington, vs. Washington, vs. Tampa Bay

Notes

The Jets play three games in four nights this week so look for Al Montoya to take at least one start away from Ondrej Pavelec. Winnipeg plays Washington twice this week so it is likely that Chris Thorburn will get into a fight or two along the way. The Jets will be rested on Sunday when they face Tampa Bay after the Lighting are in Ottawa Saturday. Dustin Byfuglien has been heating up with five assists in his last two games to give him four goals and 16 points in 22 games. Tobias Enstrom skated on Thursday for the first time since injuring his shoulder on Feb. 15. There is still no timetable for his return.

Sergei Bobrovsky has been unbelievable of late as he has carried the Columbus Blue Jackets out of the Western Conference basement with a 5-0-2 mark over the last seven games.

He was the player of the week for the week ending March 10 and has stopped 200 of the last 206 shots he has faced in the seven games.

The Blue Jackets gave up a second and a fourth round pick in the 2012 Draft and still have to give the Flyers a 2013 fourth rounder but after a slow start where he was sharing the net with Steve Mason, he has entrenched himself as the Blue Jackets number one goaltender.

I was on Google+Hangout Thursday with NHL.com's Pete Jensen, Brian Metzer and Matthew Sitkoff for our regular fantasy chat. You can watch the chat by clicking here. Special thanks as well to Caty Marzi and Tina Jain of NHL.com who do outstanding work producing the show.

Chris Kelly is out with a broken tibia. (Click here to see the rest of the injury list.)

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Chicago, vs. Detroit, vs. Detroit

Notes

The Ducks play the Red Wings twice this week so look for Brad Staubitz and Matt Beleskey to partake in fisticuffs if the situation arises. Corey Perry will return to the Anaheim lineup for the first Detroit game as he will have finished his four game suspension for a hit to the head of the Wild's Jason Zucker. Viktor Fasth suffered an upper body injury so Jeff Deslauriers was recalled to back up Jonas Hiller. Consider Fasth day-to-day for now. Kyle Palmieri missed five games before his return from an upper body injury Thursday. Ryan Getzlaf has been on a tear of late with six goals and 19 points in his last ten games heading into Thursday's action.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, @Ottawa, @ Toronto

Notes

The Bruins are in Canada for all three games this week. Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic have really been slumping of late with Horton having only a goal and three points in his last 11 games while Lucic has a goal in his last 14, albeit with seven assists. Their center David Krejci has only two goals in the same period with nine assists. Lucic has been a surprising minus-two in that span, and that is pretty bad on a very good Boston team. Chris Kelly is out of the lineup with a broken tibia. After a slow start in which he had two goals and three assists in 13 games (all in three games) to go with a plus-three rating and 14 minutes, Zdeno Chara now has six goals and 12 points with 39 penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating. Another slow starter, Tyler Seguin, now has 21 points in 24 games and is plus-18.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ Montreal, vs. Toronto, @ Montreal

Notes

The Sabres will be rested on Thursday when they take on the Maple Leafs who play the Lightning at home Wednesday. Patrick Kaleta, Mike Weber and Steve Ott will likely pick up some penalty minutes as the Sabres play the Canadiens twice this week. Kaleta will finish his five game suspension on the 16th and will likely be ready to go against the Habs. The Sabres will likely be sellers come the trade deadline unless something drastic happens so it's possible Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek and/or Ryan Miller could be on the block. Alexander Sulzer is out for the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Marcus Foligno could be worth looking at if the Sabres throw in the towel. He potted a couple of goals after going 20 games without finding the back of the net.

CALGARY

Games this week

@ Dallas, @ Nashville, @ Columbus, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Flames play three games in four nights so expect to see Joey MacDonald play at least once in place of Miikka Kiprusoff. The Flames will be tired on Friday when they take on Columbus after playing the Predators in Nashville Thursday. They will be rested Sunday at home versus the Blues who are in Edmonton Saturday. Only two Flames are plus players, Matthew Stajan at plus-nine and Lee Stempniak at plus-six. The rest of the squad is on the wrong side of even. Jay Bouwmeester is finally scoring as he has five goals and 13 points this season after a rocky start to his career in Calgary as he had seasons of 29, 24 and 29 points respectively after coming over from Florida as a UFA after the 2008-09 season.

CAROLINA

Games this week

@ New York Rangers, vs. Florida, vs. New Jersey

Notes

The Hurricanes play three games in four nights so look for Dan Ellis to get at least one start with Justin Peters also in the equation. The Hurricanes will be tired Tuesday when they host Florida after playing at Madison Square Garden Monday. Tuomo Ruutu needed hip surgery before the start of the season and it was thought he was gone for the entire regular season but he could return to practice as early as March 15. Get ready to pick him up in deeper leagues. Jussi Jokinen has moved up to the second unit alongside Jeff Skinner and Jordan Staal. Joni Pitkanen (lower body) has played in only one of Carolina's last 14 games but is skating and is close to a return.

CHICAGO

Games this week

@ Colorado, @ Anaheim

NotesThe Blackhawks have only two games this week for the second week in a row. They broke a two-game losing streak Thursday with a shootout win after starting the season 21-0-3. Jimmy Hayes was recalled on Tuesday and will start on a line with Patrick Kane and Dave Bolland. After the two game losing streak, the Blackhawks have reunited their third line of Viktor Stalberg, Andrew Shaw and Bryan Bickell. Steve Montador has passed through waivers and will play in the minors. He has not played since March 27, 2012 after suffering a concussion. Nick Leddy benefited from playing in the minors during the lockout and started the season with a goal and five points in his first six games but has only a goal and three assists in 21 games since.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Chicago, vs. Dallas, @ Dallas, vs. Vancouver

Notes

The Avalanche play a home-and-home series with the Stars so expect to see Cody McLeod, Patrick Bordeleau and Ryan O'Byrne to add to their minute totals as tempers should flare. They play four games this week but not three in four nights. Nevertheless, look for Jean-Sebastien Giguere play once this week. Milan Hejduk returned to action Thursday after missing five games with a shoulder injury. Tyson Barrie was the Avs best defenseman over 15 games but with Erik Johnson and Ryan Wilson back in action, they want Barrie to play and not sit in the press box so he will get a lot of ice time in Cleveland with the Lake Erie Monsters.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

vs. Nashville, vs. Calgary, @ Nashville

Notes

The Blue Jackets will be rested Friday when they host Calgary who take on the Predators in Nashville Thursday. They are the tired team on Saturday when they travel to Nashville who will be home and waiting for them. The Blue Jackets play the Predators twice this week so look for Jared Boll and Brandon Dubinsky to pick up some penalty minutes. Columbus is 5-0-2 in their last seven games as Sergei Bobrovsky has been outstanding giving up six goals in 206 shots with a GAA of only 0.84. Boone Jenner could see some NHL time as his Oshawa Generals have only two regular season games left and he should get recalled.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Calgary, @ Colorado, @ Los Angeles, vs. Colorado

Notes

The Stars play four times this week including three games in four nights so expect to see Richard Bachman to play once in place of Kari Lehtonen. The Stars play the Avs twice this week so look for Antoine Roussel and Brenden Dillon to add to their penalty minute totals. Dallas will be a tired team Thursday when they are in Los Angeles after playing in Colorado Wednesday. Jamie Benn suffered a wrist injury and is day-to-day. Forty-year-old Ray Whitney finally returned to action after missing 20 games with a broken foot and is currently on the second line with Derek Roy and Erik Cole. Aaron Rome (foot) is still out of the Dallas lineup.

DETROIT

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, @ Anaheim, @ Anaheim

Notes

The Red Wings are in Anaheim for back-to-back games so do not be surprised if Jordin Tootoo adds to his penalty minutes. There is no change is the status of Todd Bertuzzi as he is still out with a back injury. The Red Wings are close to signing Jimmy Howard and Damien Brunner to multi-year contracts. Brunner has not scored in his last eight games. After going 58:10 minutes on the power play without being on the ice for a goal, Valtteri Filppula scored in his first game back from shoulder surgery. Nicklas Kronwall has taken over nicely from the retired Nicklas Lidstrom on the power play as he has a goal and nine points with the man advantage.

EDMONTON

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. St. Louis

Notes

The Oilers will only play twice this week so I recommend benching all your Edmonton players in weekly transaction leagues. Justin Schultz has 12 of his 15 points on the power play and is minus-10 this season. Sam Gagner is having a breakout season with 10 goals and 25 points in 26 games. Nikolai Khabibulin has been activated from the injured reserve list and Yann Danis was sent back to the minors. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins doubled his goals this week as he scored his second of the season. Since the Oilers acquired Mike Brown, Ben Eager was made redundant and he passed through waivers before being sent to the minors.

FLORIDA

Games this week

@ Carolina, @ New York Rangers, @ New Jersey, @ New York Islanders

Notes

The Panthers are on the road for all four games this week and play three games in four nights so Jacob Markstrom and Scott Clemmensen should each get at least one start. The Panthers will be the rested team Tuesday when they face the Hurricanes who play the Rangers in New York on Monday and will be tired on Sunday in Long Island after playing the Devils in Newark Saturday. Kris Versteeg is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery. Jack Skille is on a four-game point scoring streak heading into Thursday with a goal and four points. Shawn Matthias has five goals in his last eight games.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

vs. Phoenix, vs. Phoenix, vs. Dallas, vs. Vancouver

Notes

The Kings play three games in four nights this week so look for Jonathan Bernier to play at least once in place of Jonathan Quick. The Kings are rested Thursday when they play the Stars who are in Colorado Wednesday. They play the Coyotes in back-to-back games so expect to see Keaton Ellerby and Jordan Nolan to find their way to the penalty box. Jacob Muzzin continues to impress and now has seven points in his last seven games to go with a plus-eight rating. He also had 19 penalty minutes Thursday. Dustin Brown is starting to heat up with five goals in his last three games. Jeff Carter had 11 goals in 10 games before being held off the scoresheet in the last three games.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Detroit, vs. San Jose

Notes

Jason Zucker suffered an upper body injury on Tuesday when he was hit illegally by Corey Perry, an infraction that cost Perry a four game suspension. Zucker skated by himself on Wednesday and that was good news but he missed Thursday's game. Zucker was replaced in the lineup by Pierre-Marc Bouchard who had been a healthy scratch in his last three games. The Wild were in need of some depth on the blueline so they signed Brett Clark to a one-year deal. Highly touted rookie Mikael Granlund has struggled too much at the NHL level and has been sent to Houston of the AHL to get him plenty of ice time and hopefully his confidence back. He is worth stashing in keeper leagues.

MONTREAL

Games this week

vs. Buffalo, @ New York Islanders, vs. Buffalo

Notes

The Canadiens play the Sabres twice at home this week so look for Brandon Prust (if healthy as he could return from a degree 1 shoulder separation) and Ryan White to get into a fight if the Sabres tough guys are willing. Prust is having a very good fantasy season with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating. He also has four goals and nine points and is the top all-round fantasy enforcer in the league. Tomas Plekanec has been scoring of late with three goals and six points in his last six games. Carey Price has a 14-4-3 record this season with a 2.39 GAA and a .910 save percentage. The Habs sent Greg Pateryn to the minors and recalled former first round pick Jarred Tinordi from Hamilton of the AHL. P.K. Subban has been sensational since re-signing with Montreal as he has 20 points in 21 games including 15 points on the power play.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

@ Columbus, vs. Calgary, vs. Columbus

Notes

The Predators are rested Saturday when they host the Blue Jackets who play Calgary on Friday. They play the Blue Jackets twice this week so expect to see Richard Clune in the penalty box at some point. Nashville has been having trouble on the road of late as they are 1-5-1 after a 4-2-1 start. The team is hoping to get Patric Hornqvist and Colin Wilson back this week as both are out with upper body injuries. Nashville is having trouble scoring as Wilson leads the team with 19 points with Shea Weber and Martin Erat second and third with 14 and 13 points respectively. Weber has been hot of late with a goal and five assists in four games.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers, @ Carolina, vs. Florida

Notes

The Devils will be rested on Tuesday when they host the Rangers who host Carolina Monday. Ilya Kovalchuk has been a special teams star this season as he has two goals and eight assists on the power play to go with four shorthanded goals. David Clarkson has only two assists in his last 13 games. Martin Brodeur has missed the last 10 games with a back injury but could return on March 16. After going five games without a point, Andrei Loktionov had a goal and an assist on Tuesday. He has four goals and seven points in 12 games. Johan Hedberg is 3-1 in his last four games, giving up five goals in the loss but only two apiece in the three wins with two victories in the shootout.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

vs. Ottawa, vs. Montreal, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Florida

Notes

The Islanders placed Michael Grabner on the injured reserve list with a shoulder injury. He has 10 goals this season with three assists in 26 games as his goal scoring is reminiscent of the 2010-11 season when he scored 34 times rather than the 20 goals in 78 games last season. Tough defenseman Matt Carkner is skating again after he suffered a lower body injury on February 7. John Tavares and Matt Moulson have eight and seven power play goals respectively with Mark Streit the only other Islander with more than one goal as he has two. Evgeni Nabokov is 12-8-3 but his peripherals are nothing to write home about as he has a 2.88 GAA and a .902 save percentage.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

vs. Carolina, @ New Jersey, vs. Florida, vs. Washington

Notes

The Rangers play three games in four nights so you could see Martin Biron play once in place of Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers are the tired team on Tuesday in New Jersey after hosting the Hurricanes on Monday. Marian Gaborik is struggling with only one goal in his last 13 games and he has been demoted at times to the third line. You should stick with him as his fantasy value is at an all-time low and you will not get enough if you try and deal him. He still has eight goals and 17 points in 26 games and while it is not Gaborik-like, he is far from the worst fantasy forward in the NHL. Look for Marc Staal to return by the end of March if not a bit sooner as he recovers from an eye injury.

OTTAWA

Games this week

@ New York Islanders, vs. Boston, vs. Tampa Bay

Notes

The Senators start a five game home stand this week. David Dziurzynski practiced for the first time Wednesday since he suffered a concussion in a fight with the Maple Leafs Frazer McLaren. Patrick Wiercioch has been taking over the offense from the blueline and has scored three goals in the last five games to give him three goals and nine points this season in 23 games. He also chips in with penalty minutes as he now has 27 after a 19 minute performance Monday. Robin Lehner is a hard luck goalie as he is 1-0-4 this season with a 2.07 GAA and a sensational .944 save percentage. He is just having trouble in shootouts as he has lost all four this season.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Tampa Bay, vs. Pittsburgh

Notes

The Flyers only play twice this week for the second week in a row. Keep Jakub Voracek in your lineup as he is one of, if not the hottest, players in the NHL with 13 goals and 31 points in 28 games thus far. Claude Giroux is also worth keeping in your lineup. Sean Couturier now understands what the sophomore jinx is all about. He has not scored in 20 games and hasn't picked up a point in his last 10, going minus-seven in the 10 game stretch. He has only two goals and seven points in 28 games this season but look for him to bounce back in 2013-14. The Flyers recalled Michael Leighton from the minors and sent Brian Boucher down to the AHL at the same time.

PHOENIX

Games this week

@ Los Angeles, @ Los Angeles, vs. Vancouver

Notes

The Coyotes play three games in four nights this week and are off on the weekend. Look for Jason LaBarbera to get one start with Mike Smith getting two this week. The Coyotes play the Kings in back-to-back games in Los Angeles so there could be fisticuffs. If so, expect to see Kyle Chipchura involved and spending more than two minutes in the sin bin. Shane Doan leads the Coyotes in goals with nine. Radim Vrbata has missed the last 12 games with a broken foot but has started practicing and hopefully he is close to returning. Oliver Ekman-Larsson should receive some Norris Trophy consideration and at the tender age of 21, he is negotiating a long-term deal with the Coyotes. He is one of the top defensemen in the NHL and Sweden will have a tremendous defense for the next 10 years in Olympic play with both Ekman-Larsson and Erik Karlsson manning the back end.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

vs. Washington, @ New York Islanders, @ Philadelphia

Notes

The Penguins are rested Friday when they play the Islanders who take on Montreal Thursday. Kris Letang has to be at the top of the Norris Trophy talk as the NHL passes the halfway point of the regular season as he has three goals and 27 points with a plus-12 rating. He has yet to score on the power play but has six assists. The great Sidney Crosby is the runaway leader for the Hart as he has 12 goals and 35 assists to go with a plus-20 rating, and is first in the NHL in assists and points while second in plus/minus. Evgeni Malkin is out with an upper body injury and Dustin Jeffrey is getting some second line playing time with James Neal and Beau Bennett.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Edmonton, @ Calgary

Notes

The Blues are in Western Canada for all three games this week. They are rested Tuesday when they face the Canucks who are home to the Wild Monday. The Blues will be the tired team in Calgary Sunday after traveling from Edmonton the previous night. Alexander Steen missed eight games with an upper body injury and returned with a vengeance as he had a goal and two assists Thursday. After scoring 15 goals and 15 assists in a full season last year, Chris Stewart has come back as well with 13 goals and 13 assists in 27 games. David Backes has only three goals this season but 16 assists. Jake Allen has won four in a row and is now 7-1.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Anaheim, @ Edmonton, @ Minnesota

Notes

The Sharks play all three on the road this week. It looks like Brent Burns likes playing forward. The blueliner had played in only six games before this past week because of a leg injury and was forced to play up front. He has responded with two goals and three points in two games and is worth picking up in all pools since he will have defense eligibility. Ryane Clowe is goalless this season in 24 games but has nine assists including three in his last four games. Patrick Marleau scored the 400th goal of his NHL career this past week.

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

vs. Philadelphia, @ Toronto, @ Ottawa, @ Winnipeg

Notes

Tampa Bay will be tired on Sunday when they travel to Winnipeg after playing in Ottawa Saturday. Vincent Lecavalier has been placed the injured reserve with a lower body injury. He took a puck off his foot on Feb. 2 and suffered another injury Tuesday. The Lightning recalled Tyler Johnson to replace him. Steve Stamkos is the first player to 20 goals this season. The Lightning had high hopes when they acquired Anders Lindback in the off-season but he has been less than stellar this season with a 9-7-1 record to go with a .902 save percentage and a 2.93 GAA. Brian Lee may be the worst fantasy player in hockey with no points and a minus-13 rating. Martin St. Louis has 13 of his 36 points this season on the power play.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. Tampa Bay, @ Buffalo, vs. Boston

Notes

The Maple Leafs play three games in four nights so expect to see Ben Scrivens play once in net for James Reimer. They will tired on Thursday when in Buffalo after being home Wednesday to Tampa Bay. Joffrey Lupul is ready to return to action after playing only three games before fracturing his forearm. Nazem Kadri is pointless in his last three games while Nikolai Kulemin has only one assist in his last eight games. Mike Kostka was a healthy scratch Thursday for the first time this season as John-Michael Liles drew back in the lineup for his puck-handling skills for the first time in 13 games. Phil Kessel has five goals and 10 points in his last six games.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. St. Louis, @ Phoenix, @ Los Angeles, @ Colorado

Notes

The Canucks play five times this week so you have to expect both Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider will each play at least twice with the fifth game up for grabs. The Canucks will be tired Tuesday when they host St. Louis after hosting the Wild on Monday. With Vancouver playing five times this week, stock up on your Canucks in pools with weekly transactions. Kevin Bieksa returned to the Vancouver lineup on Thursday after missing seven of the previous eight games with a groin injury. Andrew Ebbett was recalled to replace Jordan Schroeder who was sent to the minors and Ebbett excelled in his second game with a goal and three points.

WASHINGTON

Games this week

@ Pittsburgh, @ Winnipeg, @ Winnipeg, @ New York Rangers

Notes

The Capitals play three games in four nights this week so expect to see Michal Neuvirth play once in place of Braden Holtby. They take on the Jets in Winnipeg twice this week so look for Matt Henricks and the recently acquired Aaron Volpatti to spend some time in the sin bin. Alex Ovechkin has five goals and 12 points in his last 10 games and had a goal and an assist Thursday after going three games without a point. Brooks Laich started skating again on Tuesday after not being able to since Feb. 16. He has not played in the NHL since May 16, 2012 as he suffered a groin injury playing in Europe during the lockout.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Boston, vs. Washington, vs. Washington, vs. Tampa Bay

Notes

The Jets play three games in four nights this week so look for Al Montoya to take at least one start away from Ondrej Pavelec. Winnipeg plays Washington twice this week so it is likely that Chris Thorburn will get into a fight or two along the way. The Jets will be rested on Sunday when they face Tampa Bay after the Lighting are in Ottawa Saturday. Dustin Byfuglien has been heating up with five assists in his last two games to give him four goals and 16 points in 22 games. Tobias Enstrom skated on Thursday for the first time since injuring his shoulder on Feb. 15. There is still no timetable for his return.